In The Dust
by thesweetness0292
Summary: Gordo gets an internship at a studio in LA, forcing him to leave Hillridge and his friends for six months. Will he lose his chance to finally win Lizzie's heart?
1. Day in the Life

In The Dust  
  
A/N: New story!!!! Felt like doing something that wasn't in Lizzie's POV and revolving around Lizzie. So, it's about... GORDO! Yay! First chapter is like an intro, and the real story begins on chapter 2!  
  
Summary: When Gordo gets noticed at a school film festival, he moves to Hollywood with his family, and meets new people, like guy friends and a girlfriend. But when Miranda and Lizzie go down there so they can see him (and so Lizzie can tell him how she feels about him), what will happen?  
  
Chapter One: Day in My Life  
  
"Oh, my gosh, Gordo, this is AMAZING!" My best friend, Lizzie McGuire, said to me. I just smirked. We were in Miranda Sanchez's living room, watching my entry for the Hillridge Film Festival. Miranda's my other best friend.  
  
As I was saying, we were watching the movie that I wrote, directed, starred in, produced, and invested all my money in. It was a documentary (more like "exposé") about our school cafeteria food, and how it reeks. We go to Hillridge High in Hillridge, CA (by LA) and the food has been so nasty ever since we started here one and a half years ago. This film festival was my big shot at becoming famous, because talent scouts were coming, so this is my best movie yet.  
  
I forgot to introduce myself. My name is David Zephyr Gordon, or Gordo for short. You already know my best friends, my love for directing, and my disgust for our cafeteria food. You basically know about my whole life.  
  
I've known Miranda for 14 of my 16 years. We met at a playground when I was there with my mom. She was in front of me in the line for the baby slide, and she took forever to get ready to go down. So, since I was impatient when I was two, I pushed her down the slide, and she had so much fun. She pushed me when I went, and I fell flat on my face. She gave me a hug after and said, "I'm sorry" in her baby Mexican accent. I accepted her apology, and the rest, as they say, is history.  
  
Lizzie, on the other hand, is the one I've known forever – literally. Her parents and my parents were the best of friends when they moved in next door to each other in the same month. We were born three days apart (I'm older), and our moms were in the same hospital room. We were next to each other in the nursery room, her with her baby pink blanker, asleep, when I was in there, crying my eyes out under my blue blanket. We grew up as best friends, always together. She was the first person I knew (except my mom) and same with her. As we grew up, we had our share of crushes and puppy loves, but we always stuck together, even if we had crushes on each other; like I do right now.  
  
So, back to reality. We were sitting on Miranda's couch, looking up to her gigantic flat-screen. The credits were rolling now, and the only names that were seen were mine under all the cast and crew ones, and my parents, Lizzie, and Miranda under special thanks.  
  
"You should really send this to the big-timers. They'd take it, especially since it's a one-man movie. You're definitely gonna win tomorrow," Miranda said. She was smiling. I smiled back at her, meaning thanks. She knew. She knows all of my looks . . . and all of my secrets. She even knows about how I like Lizzie.  
  
"Yea, she's right. You could, like, even MOVE to Hollywood! And if you get rich, you can buy a house in Beverly Hills, and we can live there too, and we can forget about going to school because we'll all be famous!" Lizzie said dreamily. I rolled my eyes as Miranda stared at her, mouth open, not comprehending anything she just said.  
  
"I'm sorry, I missed the part where it said that you and Miranda would become famous," I said, winking. She smiled and blushed at my wink. Eek, I went too far with the flirting. She's probably disgusted.  
  
"Well, it's a little obvious, isn't it? You'll cast us as the main stars in all of your Oscar-winning movies!" Lizzie exclaimed.  
  
Miranda gave her a look, and then threw a pillow at her, spilling the popcorn on Lizzie's lap. Lizzie squealed and took a piece of popcorn. She threw the popcorn into Miranda's mouth, and yelled, "SCORE!"  
  
I ran in the middle of them and held them back from each other. They had their own respective weapons up and ready to attack; Miranda had the pillow and Lizzie had a handful of popcorn. I put my psychiatrist face on and took a deep breath. I perfected this in kindergarten when my parents became professional (and very famous) psychiatrists. More like psychos, is what I think.  
  
"Why don't you two sort this out rationally? Speak your minds and say how you FEEL?" I said, with the fakest voice in the world. They looked at each other, mischief in their eyes, and when Miranda said, "NOW!", I ducked. Lizzie threw the popcorn at me and Miranda hit me with the pillow. I put my hands up and surrendered.  
  
Lizzie and Miranda laughed and fell on the couch, laughing so hard. I stood there, picking the popcorn out of my dangerously curly hair, and I felt someone pull me on the couch. I fell and hit my head on one of my parents' psychology books. Lizzie suddenly crowded around me.  
  
"Are you okay, Gordo? Oh no, he's not answering, Miranda! He might be dead! OH NO!" And I heard her pretend to collapse onto the pillows on the ground.  
  
I opened my eyes and saw her laying there, one hand over her heart, the other over her forehead. She let out a helpless sigh. I thought this was the cutest thing. So I pretended to be Romeo and kill myself. As I fell next to Lizzie, Miranda mourned over our "dead" bodies. She started sobbing, and called out for the people to help. I put my hand down in the middle of me and Lizzie, and suddenly, her hand fell off of her forehead on straight on my hand. I jerked up suddenly, and so did Lizzie.  
  
"Uh, maybe I should go now . . . 'Bye, Miranda! Bye, uh, Gordo," Lizzie hurriedly said, and grabbed her things. I heard the door slam and saw her running home out the window. I sighed and slapped my head. Miranda looked at me, and lightly sighed.  
  
"You know, it's not like she doesn't have feelings for you, because I can tell she does. She's just overwhelmed. I saw the smile on her face when she touched your hand. She wants you, Gordo. She does," Miranda said. I smiled slightly, and left after saying goodbye.  
  
When I got home, I put my things down and fell onto my bed. I thought about how surreal that two seconds happened to be. And suddenly, I realized something: I could have meant nothing at all. I'm so stupid! I thought that was something. Man, that's nothing.  
  
Because, really, this is just a day in the life of David Zephyr Gordon.  
  
E/N: Is that good? I thought it was pretty good. Haha.. OK, well, I gotta go get ready for softball, so adios, amigos! And I'll write more ASAP! 


	2. Hillridge Film Festival

In The Dust  
  
A/N: So far, only one person has reviewed me. . . :(. But it was a VERY NICE review, so thanks a lot! So, this is where it starts to get into the story a little more. Well, chapter two is here!  
  
Chapter Two: Hillridge Film Festival  
  
A week later, the festival day had arrived. I was all dizzy and nervous and stuff. Of course, Miranda and Lizzie were SO excited. Miranda was excited because she just knew I would win. Lizzie was excited because she knew I would win AND move to Hollywood and buy a mansion and become famous and cast them as stars in my movies. Reality is, I doubted I would get to make movies in Hollywood. I mean, I'm 16! I'm supposed to be "living life to the fullest" or whatever that crap is that my psycho parents tell me. Whatever. I am living life to the fullest, I guess.  
  
As we sat in the city park (directly across from City Hall) we watched the amateur videos. There were five from Hillridge High, one from Hillridge Jr. High, and some from the middle-age adults that had nothing better to do but make a crappy movie. I think the best one (other than mine) was the one from Hillridge Jr. High. It was a parody about how popular people act. That, my friend, was great. Just great. Sorta like my ventures when I was there way back when, with the video cameras and disguised voices and everything.  
  
I looked back into the crowd to find my parents. They promised that they would get out of work to see my movie, so I drove myself, Lizzie, and Miranda to the festival in my 2000 Mustang Convertible. Anyways, when I looked back to see where the heck they were, they were sitting in the back with someone who was taking notes.  
  
Oh shit. No way they were sitting there. They were sitting next to the talent scout. The one that came from Hollywood. The one who decided who got to go to Hollywood, even if they didn't win the festival.  
  
I leaned over and whispered to Miranda, "He's here."  
  
"Who's here? Aliens?"  
  
"NO! The talent scout!"  
  
"Ooh, yeah. He's here, all right. By your parents!"  
  
"I know that! Now quiet!"  
  
Maybe I shouldn't tell Lizzie. She'd forget about whispering and yell, "OH MY GOSH!" She probably would. But, oh well. I'll tell her not to say anything loud, and she'll listen! She was on the other side of me, watching the movie about soap scum. I tapped her shoulder.  
  
"Hey Lizzie!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"He's here."  
  
"The talent person?"  
  
"Yep!"  
  
"Oh my gosh." (How did I know?!)  
  
"And guess who's sitting next to them?"  
  
"Your parents or something? Gordo, can we please stop playing 20 questions? It gets tiring after a while."  
  
"You're a lot better at this than Miranda was. Well, yeah, my parents are right there, probably telling them all of my embarrassing moments!"  
  
"Gordo, they don't KNOW all of your embarrassing moments! Usually, they happen around me and/or Miranda. Stop acting like ME and I'll stop acting like YOU! It's weird!"  
  
"You're right, I AM acting like you. I'm gonna stop now. It freaks me out to say Oh, My GOSH all the time."  
  
"Shut UP, Gordo!"  
  
Finally, my movie came on. I already told you this, but it is a documentary (sort of) about the cafeteria food. It's actually scripted, so it's not really real. Just the part about the food. Jo McGuire, Lizzie's mom, is the cafeteria lady, and Matt, Lizzie's brother, is the guy who says all the, "EW! THAT'S SO NASTY!" It turns out to be really funny, actually, so I get a standing ovation.  
  
At the end, when everyone starts congratulating me, a guy with black slacks, a white T-shirt, and a black beret comes up to me.  
  
"Are you David Gordon?" the mystery guy says.  
  
"Um, yes. I'm David Gordon. Can I help you?" I tried to make it sound polite, but I think it came out as arrogant.  
  
"Yes, I am Taylor Goutrel, the talent scout from Olympia Studios in Culver City. I have an offer that most cannot resist. Please give me a call when you get the chance," Taylor Goutrel said. I shook his hand.  
  
"Thanks a lot, Mr. Goutrel," I say, trying to be calm like this happened everyday. I think it came out as a little boy who was offered a pound of candy. Man, I'm really messing up with this guy!  
  
"Mr. Goutrel was my father, and he's long gone. Please, call me Taylor," he said, chuckling with this manly laugh. He was so skinny, too. It was awkward to hear him laugh.  
  
"Okay, Taylor. Thanks for the card," I said smoothly. Finally I got the tone down.  
  
The whole time, Lizzie and Miranda were right next to me. They heard it all, and when he got into the limo, they squealed.  
  
And, so predictably, Lizzie yelled, "Oh, my GOSH!!!!!!!"  
  
E/N: Hah, cliffhanger for you guys. That Taylor dude's a little weird, huh? Sorry about the rush at the end, but I have to get ready for my friend's party. So I'll try to write soon! 


	3. The Call

In The Dust

A/N: Trying to write as much as I can, as fast as I can! OK, here's chapter 3!

Chapter 3: The Call

"So, Gordo, are you gonna call or what? It's been 3 days!" Lizzie said to me. I had been putting off this phone call for as long as I could, because I was scared.

I wasn't scared that he wouldn't offer me some sort of job. I was afraid that I would get caught up and accept the offer, only to leave Miranda and Lizzie behind. Maybe I would even leave my parents behind. Well, actually, that wouldn't be too horrible...

"I guess I'll call now," I said hesitantly. I really didn't want to call in front of Lizzie, only to break her spirits. But I picked up the phone to make her happy.

Lizzie and I were in her room, because Miranda was away with her parents at her grandma's 90th birthday party. I was at her desk, sitting facing her bed, where she was sitting cross-legged, clutching a pillow to contain her excitement. It's not like you're the one having to call Mr. Big-Shot. I was. So I don't get why she was so scared.

I dialed the number on the business card. The phone started ringing, and it rang twice before I heard the secretary answer the phone.

"Olympia Studios. Can I help you?"

"Yes, this is David Gordon. May I speak to Mr. Taylor Goutrel?" I said in my best business voice. I looked to Lizzie, and she gave me a thumbs-up. I guess that meant I was doing okay.

"Yes. Please hold for a moment while I redirect your call," the secretary said. She must get paid a lot to sound like a recorded message.

I waited for a few minutes and I heard the familiar voice of Taylor answer the phone.

"Goutrel."

"Hello, this is David Gordon."

"Oh, David! Hello! How are you doing today, my favorite young director?" He was trying to butter up to me. Hah. That's nice of him. I still grinned like mad though. Lizzie mouthed, "What did he say?" I still just grinned.

"I'm doing great today, Taylor. More importantly, how are you?" I was trying to sound like I always was on the phone with a big scout from Culver City.

"I'm glad to hear that. And I'm doing wonderfully today, thank you." He was trying to force it out of me, I could tell.

"That's great. Seems like a good day for everyone," I said. Oh god, that was cheesy. Real cheesy. Dangerously cheesy. Wait, I'm not a Cheetos bag.

"Yes, I guess so. I presume you called because of my offer." See, he was trying to get me to do all the talking.

"Of course." And that made me sound arrogant. Lizzie scrunched her nose up. That was HORRIBLE.

"Well, I was thinking about something here... Your documentary was amazing, especially a man your age. So, maybe you could come down here in two weeks and stay for a while, say, maybe 6 months, and we can try you out as an assistant director." Just what I was trying to avoid. But, I acted like it was the best thing that happened to me, for Lizzie. I was smiling like a fool. She flashed a smile at me to humor me, I guess.

"That would be great. I was wondering, do my parents come, too?" I sounded like a guy who couldn't live without my parents, when I actually could.

"Yes, yes, of course! The more, the merrier! Just immediate family can come, though. We don't want to take your friends out of school for this. They wouldn't have fun anyway," he said. He read my mind. He IS a scary guy.

"Alright, I guess that's fine. I'll tell my parents immediately. Thanks again!" I said. That was better.

"Okay then. Goodbye, David. See you in two weeks."

"Bye, Taylor."

CLICK.

"So, what happened there?" Lizzie asked eagerly. "Sounded like it went well."

"I guess," I said wearily. Part of me wanted to tell her, but the other part wanted to save her.

"Tell me, Gordo! I'm your best friend, you can tell me anything," she said, putting her puppy face on. I sighed, then decided to tell her.

"I'm leaving for LA in two weeks. And staying for half a year," I said. I avoided eye contact with her.

She sat there, about to cry, and gave me a hug.

"I'm gonna miss you so much, Gordo. I really will," she said, and hugged me for a long time.

E/N: Aww... sad... ok, well I gotta go now.. bye!


	4. Breaking The News to the Rents

In The Dust

A/N: Whoa. I wrote this about two and a half months ago and never got around to posting it. So here goes!

Chapter 4: Breaking The News To The 'Rents

It was hours later, and I was laying on my bed. I don't really think I knew what I was doing, I was just there, being a blob. I guess I was thinking absentmindedly. Thinking about how much I'm going to miss Hillridge, even if we ARE only 50 miles away from Hollywood. It's not like we lived in New York or something, because then it would be 3,000 miles away, and THAT would suck. Plus, I would have to fly all by myself. My parents wouldn't go to Hollywood if we lived in New York. They would stay and enjoy the quiet. Psh. Not like I even talk to them.

I was wandering. My mind was, I mean. I was going from how much I would miss everyone to how I never talk to my parents. It's like, what the hell is going on in my mind? I guess I'm trying not to think about how much I'm going to miss being able to have a private face-to-face talk with Miranda, being able to flirt with Lizzie face-to-face, having privacy and peace. In Hollywood, there were no replacements for my best friends in the world, my bedroom, and the things I love most. Those were irreplaceable if lost, stolen, or if you push them away.

Mainly, the reason I'm afraid to confront Lizzie about my feelings was because she's my best friend in the universe. I can act like a genius, and she'll ask me lots of hard questions for me to give genius answers to. I act like Ethan Craft, resident dumb guy at Hillridge High, and she'll pretend to be a retard with me. But if I'm myself, or if I have a problem, she's always there for me. I don't wanna lose that over some school-boy crush on the pretty, smart girl.

I decided to tell my mom and dad about LA, Taylor Goutrel, and leaving for half a year, at the dinner table. The dinner table is the safest place to break some news, whether it be horrible, stupid, great, or life-changing. This case, it was all of the above, and more.

As I was eating the chicken soup my mom made for dinner tonight, I listened to their conversation. It was about some crazy patient that they have. Dad was saying how he deserves whatever it is he wants because he's gonna turn out to be a psycho killer. Mom said how you shouldn't be a psychiatrist if you make fun of your patients. I felt like saying something, like, "Oooh, you got TOLD!" or something like, "Jerry, Jerry, Jerry..." but I knew they would give me a death stare. It's not like I really cared. It's just that it would lower my chances of them letting me stay in Hillridge.

But, I already told Taylor that I was gonna be there in two weeks. I guess it's all planned. Unless my parents say I can't go...

"Mom? Dad? May I interrupt?" I said, politely. My mom nodded and smiled. She liked the way I handled that, I could tell.

"Of course, David, dear. What would you like to ask us?"

"Uh—um, uh, it's, er.... It's not really important, nevermind," I stammered. Smooth move, Gordon.

"Whatever you have to say must be important enough to break up one of our fights. Usually you encourage them!" Dad was laughing at his own joke. Mom, I guess, found out that he actually thought he was funny, so she started laughing, a little too late. He frowned at her, and she covered her mouth. I coughed to get their attention.

"Well, if you really wanna know... well, you know that talent scout that was at the festival?" I said slowly. They nodded slowly. Ha ha ha. Very funny. NOT.

"Well, uh, heaskedmeifiwantedtogotohollywoodandbeanassistantdirectorforsixmonthsandyouguyswouldcometoo," I said WAY WAY WAY too quickly.

"Slow down, honey! We can't understand you at all!" Mom always seemed worried about me. I don't know why... I'm perfectly fine!

"The talent scout asked if you guys and I would come down to Hollywood for the next 6 months and I would be tried out as an assistant director," I said, much more slowly. They smiled like crazy.

"Of course we would want to come! And how about you, David? Don't you want to be a big assistant director at a movie studio? That would be FANTASTIC!" Dad was going mad. I swear, he was. I needed to stop him before he started hyperventilating or something else crazy.

"Uh, yeah, sure, I guess," I said. They gave me the "I know what you're thinking" look and sighed.

"David, I know you don't wanna leave Lizzie and Miranda behind, but it's for the best. If you really want to be a famous director, you HAVE to go to Hollywood!" Mom was really, really scary. She always reads my mind and stuff. Maybe my parents and Taylor have special powers that make them mind-readers and convincers. Because I fell for it.

E/N: Chapter 5 coming up ASAP!


	5. Telling Miranda

In The Dust

A/N: Oh my gosh. I haven't written in like two months!! Wow... sorry guys! I have a VERY VERY busy life. I'm in show choir (that's a VERY BiG THING) and I have softball practices and I wake up at 6 every morning now..... ERGH! Stupid busy life. Well, I'll try to catch up!

Chapter 5: Telling Miranda

"You will absolutely hate me for this," I said. Miranda was on the phone with me, and I was about to tell her about LA.

"You KNOW I could never, ever hate you, Gordo. You're my best friend! I would never hate you!" Sure, she sounded convincing. But, I don't know if I bought it or not.

"Sure about that?" I tested her.

"As positive that everyone dies and that you're in love with Lizzie," she teased. God, she was good.

"Ergh. That's _mucho_ positive," I said. Hehe. I tried to soften the tension by speaking in Spanish.

"Please, never talk in Spanish again. You sound like a little white boy," Miranda said. She always teases me like that. It's so not fair. I'll get her back one of these days.

"Well, this little white boy is going to LA in two weeks and won't be back until 6 months from then," I said. Whoa. I can't believe I just told her about the trip in a joke. That's crazy.

"I knew it!" She thought it was a joke. I know she did, because the way she reacted was her little reaction to a joke.

"No, I'm serious. That Taylor guy offered me a job as an assistant director, so I'm going to be gone for 6 months." Silence. I heard static, Miranda's sister whining, and my clock ticking. I didn't hear Miranda talk.

"You better not forget about us." It sounded kind of like a threat, like she was mad at me.

"How could I ever forget about you?"

"You know, six months is a hell of a lot of time. You'll make new friends who are rich Hollywood snobs, and you'll forget about the best friends you've got down here in suburb Hillridge. You'll help direct some lame movie and you'll get some money. You'll find some pretty co-star that'll pretend to like you for your money, and you'll fall for her. Lizzie will find out and her heart will be broken. You'll pack up to leave six months from now, and then this stupid Taylor guy will offer you another job that'll require you to stay for a year and a half, and you'll take it. And you'll forget all about us. So, you know what, Gordo? Screw you."

"It won't be like that, Miranda! It would never be like that!" I was practically screaming into the phone. But no response. Silence was on the other end. She had hung up on me. I can't believe it. We promised each other that we'd never hang up on each other. She broke the rules.

Then again, we'd promised that none of us would leave Hillridge alone. I just broke the most important rule.

E/N: Wow. Drama, drama, drama. Miranda hates Gordo, Lizzie loves Gordo, Miranda is Lizzie's best friend, and Gordo is leaving town for 6 months. Wow. Angst! I love it!


	6. Airplanes, Confessions, and Knowing The ...

In The Dust

A/N: Just wrote Chapter 5 and I'm on a roll! Hehe. I feel good writing for you guys again!

Chapter 6: Airplanes, Confessions, and Knowing the Truth

"I'm SO gonna be there to see you off, Gordo!" Lizzie exclaimed. It was the night before I left for LA, and me, Lizzie, and Miranda were on three-way calling. Miranda had apologized for blowing up on me, and I apologized for being stupid and accepting the offer. But nothing could stop me now.

"Same here. I'll be there before you, Lizzie!" Miranda said. I loved having friends that fought over me. Just kidding.

"I'll be there before BOTH of you!" I said. I would be, though. I'd be there at 6 in the morning, while they'd be getting there at 7:45.

"Good point. He will be there." Miranda loves to point out the obvious.

"No, really? He's the reason I'm waking up at 5 tomorrow morning!" Lizzie answered.

"5 in the morning is a little early, Lizzie! You'll be there at 7:45! You don't need an hour and 15 minutes to get ready!" I said. Why would she be getting all ready for me?

"Uh, yeah. Good point. I just thought—Well, never mind. I was being blonde."

"Sure you were, Liz. I know you better than I know the posters of Usher on my wall," Miranda said. Psh. She was lying. She knew every single detail about Usher.

"Yeah, you're right. Well, I think I have to go now. Bye, guys!" Lizzie rushed her words out. I wonder why...

"BYE!" Me and Miranda said in unison. She hung up and left Miranda and I alone to talk.

"You know why she was about to wake up at 5 in the morning, right?" Miranda asked.

"Uh, no?" I said. I seriously didn't know. I have a disease. It's called OBLIVIOUSITY.

"Give me some money and I'll buy you a clue! Seriously, though! She was gonna get all ready for YOU!" Miranda had harsh comebacks.

"She wouldn't take 15 minutes to get ready for a guy like me! I'm the kinda guy who she just takes advantage of, "I said. I thought that was the real truth.

"Yeah, right! She would take an hour to get ready for Ethan Craft, but she'd take an hour and a half to get ready for you. Not just because of how she looks, it's about what she'll say. I know Lizzie well enough to know that she falls asleep thinking about you. If I ever sleep over at her house, she'll say at least two things about you. Still think she only likes you as a friend?" Whoa. This is new. I never knew anyone could think about me a lot.

How could anyone fall asleep thinking about me? I could only see that happening if someone wanted to have a nightmare. How could people talk about me? I could see people talking trash about me, saying I'm a dork, but not good stuff about me. And, someone actually FALLING for me? No way.

"You're high, aren't you? You're talking like a crazy person."

"No, you just have this thought stuck in your mind that no one could ever love you, when the truth is, there's plenty of people who look up to you. I do. You're my hero, Gordo. Never, ever change. Promise me that you'll stay the same, cool Gordo I know, and not turn into a Hollywood snob."

"I promise."

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Lines are really long at the airport. Seriously, though. I got in line for luggage at 6 and got out of it at 7:05. I got my ticket at 7:19. I had about 20 minutes to get to my gate. So, I got there in ten, and there stood Miranda and Lizzie, waiting for me. My parents saw them there, so they go to the bookstore that's about a minute walk away from the gate, and leave us alone.

"You're here."

"We're here."

Miranda came up and gave me a hug.

"Call me every other day, okay?" Miranda was crying.

"Why every _other_ day? Why not every day?"

"You'll waste your minutes." Her voice was muffled with tears. I hugged her closer and wiped her tears away.

"I'll miss you, Miranda."

"I'll miss you more. But, now I'll let you and Lizzie have some 'privacy'." Miranda knew what was best, so she hugged me again and left, going into the bookstore and saying goodbye to my parents.

"Lizzie, I need to –" I started to say something. Nothing else could come out, though. She bit her bottom lip and started crying. I walked up to her and hugged her. Wow. I had gotten tall, because her head fit perfectly on my shoulder.

"Y-you can't just l-leave me like this." No, I couldn't. I felt like a bad person.

"I don't want to. I really don't.."

"Then why did you accept the damn offer?" Her voice could hardly be heard, it was muffled that badly.

"I need to do this. My future depends on this. I need to get away from Hillridge."

"But, you can't." She sounded like a 5 year old. A very cute 5 year old.

"Why not, Liz?"

"Because.... Because..." She stopped herself from whatever she was about to say.

"Because what? Just tell me, Lizzie."

"Because... I need you." And with that, she kissed me. Her lips brushed softly against mine, and she pressed herself against me. I got into it, and kissed her back deeply. She pulled away once I kissed her back. Her eyes filled with tears, and she ran away from me, crying.

Wow. This is a very memorable day.

E/N: OOH! Lizzie "needs" Gordo. She needs him so much that she pulls him into a lip-lock. Yay. Action! I'm very happy now, especially since I just got a piece of pie. Yummy!


	7. Come Fly with Me or Maybe Not

In The Dust

A/N: I'm bad at committing to things. Especially writing for FF. Haha. I gave it up once things piled up, but now I'm back, seeing as I need some writing practice and CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. So please, don't be stingy with the comments, eh?

Chapter Seven: Come Fly with Me… Or Maybe Not

"Lizzie! Wait!" I ran after her, just like the leading guy in some sappy romantic drama would, except I was sort of smiling. I'm not trying to be offensive, but Lizzie runs like a girl. Obviously, I caught up to her in three seconds flat. What can I say, I work out. (Sometimes…)

I grabbed her arm and she turned around. I saw her face and my bottom lip began to quiver. Her mascara (or was it eyeliner?) had smeared, making her have black tears. She was gasping for breath in between sobs, and I could tell she seemed embarrassed about what she had just done. The look in her eyes was a mixture of love and regret and shock, all at once. She must have seen my expression of surprise as well, because she tried to wriggle her arm out of my grasp.

"Lizzie. I want you to come with me." That seemed to stop her in her tracks. I saw the corners of her lips slightly curl upwards, and her eyes sort of sparkled. But the look of reality shone in her face about two seconds later.

"I can't…I'm sorry." She tried to leave me again. I squeezed her arm again and she turned around again.

"Why not? Think about it: six months away from your parents and Matt, just me and you in LA, having the time of our lives." I made it sound pretty good. Too bad I left out the part about me having to work 24/7 and leaving her to do who-knows-what.

"But this is your big shot. I don't want you to hold back on it just because I'm there. And anyways, how rational is it for me to miss six whole months of school and be in LA without a parent in supervision? I'd flunk, Gordo." Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about that. I guess I took 'seize the moment' too seriously.

"I guess you have a point. I'll definitely miss you." Except I'll be thinking about her twenty-four hours a day. I'll be imagining every move she makes.

"Promise me something before you go." Tears had begun to stream down her face again.

"Anything."

"Promise me that you'll… you'll remember me." She bit her lip and turned, ready to leave without hearing my response. But of course I won't allow that. I let her go and stepped in front of her.

"Lizzie, how in the world could I _forget_ you? You're the most amazing person I've ever met." She slightly smiled and looked at me. This was it. I needed to do what I needed to do.

"I love you, Lizzie." And with that, she smiled this goofy smile and said, "Oh!" in a very shocked way. I brushed a strand of hair from her face and looked into her eyes. And I kissed her. It was the most amazing feeling. Yeah, sure; I had just done this about three minutes ago. But this was _different_. This was the real thing. We were in love. It's just the most fulfilling feeling a guy could ever feel: to love and be loved in return. She pulled away and smiled at me.

"I love you, too." We stood there for a while, still holding each other, and just smiled.

"This is kind of surreal. It feels like… a movie," Lizzie said.

"Oh God. Don't say the word 'movie' in front of me for another six months. It makes me feel like a pile of crap." Oops. Wrong thing to say. Her facial expression dropped and she started to tear up again.

"No, don't cry, Lizzie. Please, do anything but cry!" I hated to see her cry.

"What am I supposed to do? One minute we're all lovey-dovey and the next you're LEAVING for Hollywood."

"But you know I don't _want_ to leave. If I didn't have to leave…. Wait a second. I **don't** have to leave. I can stay with you here, and do this stupid assistant director thing later on in my life." Since when did I turn into sappy-guy-who-does-anything-for-the-girl-he-loves? I guess when Lizzie came into the picture, I transformed.

"This is the most important thing in your life right now, Gordo! You can't give this up for me!" True that, Liz. (JOKING!)

"You don't understand… **you** are the most important thing in my life!" That's what I wish I had said. Instead, I walked away from her after saying goodbye, and boarded Southwest Airlines flight 207 to Los Angeles.

E/N: Yeah. Took me a while to finish since interruptions. Sorry if it kinda lost its integrity . Hope it was worth it!


	8. Oh, The Places You'll Go!

In The Dust

A/N: It's summer… which means no homework… which means more time to write. Yay. Sorry, I always put a lot of breaks in between chapters and what not, but I do have a life. Here goes Chapter 8!

Chapter 8: Oh, The Places You'll Go

What seemed like ten million feet below me, patches of grass looked more brown than green. Maybe it was my pessimistic side showing, or maybe it was just because I had been focusing on the same spot for too long. But I had started to see the bad side of everything.

Take the 40-something year old woman sitting next to me. She could have been presentable, if her suit wasn't wrinkled and she wasn't drooling over her overly permed hair. Don't ask why I had been criticizing her outfit. Too much time around two complete girls does that to you. But if I had been in a better mood, I would have just smiled and ignored her.

I couldn't really figure out which was bugging me more: the fact that Lizzie pretty much rejected me, or the fact that I had even asked her to come. With all this time to think, I had realized that there are probably way more options in the world than just a girl I've known since the diaper stages. I'm going to LA, damnit. There's got to be at least one girl who's perfect for me there. Not someone who would first say she needs me, then throw me out like last week's leftovers.

I opened my carry-on bag looking for my CD player. Somehow I thought that listening to emo would make me feel better. Bad choice. First I was into the song, entitled "I'll Never Have Her", thinking it was about unrequited love or whatever. But once I figured out it was a twentysomething guy trying to get with an 80 year old grandmother, I decided to turn it off. But as I reached into the bag to find The Da Vinci Code, I found something quite different.

It looked like a gift. It was something thin and rectangular, the shape of a kid's book, and it was wrapped in red paper. On the front was a gift tag, which read "to Gordo". It was Lizzie's handwriting. Somehow she must have snuck it into my bag. I contemplated opening it, and I finally decided to read it.

It _was_ a children's book. A classic children's book. It was Dr. Seuss's Oh, The Places You'll Go!I opened it, and a letter inside an envelope fell onto the lady next to me. I grabbed it from her gently, trying not to wake her (because I could clearly imagine what would happen if I did wake her), and opened it. It was a greeting card, with _Congratulations!_ written on the front. It read:

_Dear Gordo, _

_Maybe I should call you David, now that you'll be famous. But that's okay. I'll feel special, being the only one calling you Gordo. It would just be awkward calling you David. How about Dave? Um… nah. _

_Getting to the point now. I'm really going to miss you for the next half of a year. Wow. You'll be miles away from me for half a year. Ironic. You've never left my side before. I won't have a shoulder to cry on for the next six months. I won't have a guy point of view for the next six months. I won't have my best friend in the galaxy for the next six months. But that's okay, because I know you're going on to bigger and better things, like LA. _

_I feel selfish. Hollywood needs to experience the David Gordon Experience like all of us in Hillridge have. And although I know I should just be happy for you, I feel the strongest urge to hold you back. I feel incomplete without you. I need you here with me. I know we'll take different paths in the future, but can't that just wait until the time is right? _

_Have I ever told you how proud I am of you? I feel like your mother, giving you praise like this. But I really am proud. I don't want you to ever feel like no one is proud, because I always will be, no matter what happens between us. You're one amazing person, as a friend, as a filmmaker, as a son, as whatever else you are to anyone. I don't ever want you to change yourself because you feel like you have to. You're an individual, and that's what everyone loves about you, especially me. _

_Before you head into the City of Angels, read this. And remember to remember us. Call us, write us, or just think about us. Because we will be thinking about you._

Love, Lizzie 

I folded it back into the envelope and put it into my bag quickly. Part of me wanted to tear it to pieces and burn it. I mean, how can someone say something like that to a person and then reject them just days later? But the other part of me said that I should keep it, reflect on it, follow it. I decided that I would keep it. Just not reflect on it. Iglanced out of the window again, staring at those patches of grass and imagining a big city, full of skyscrapers and second chances.

E/N: Eh. Not my best. But it's 11 at night. I'll have a new chapter up soon?


	9. The First Step to Success

In The Dust

A/N: Been maybe a couple of weeks since I last wrote. So much for keeping up, I know. But I'm making a consistent effort. I know my last chapter sucked, but I at least want some reviews to tell me how YOU thought it was. Your opinion is definitely more important than mine, so voice it! Here's Chapter 9.

Chapter 9: The First Step to Success

I thought I had been dreaming when the flight attendant told me that we would be landing in five minutes. I had been waiting for this moment for the past two hours. No, I had been waiting for this moment **all of my life**. And I was ready. As ready as I'd ever be.

Those five minutes went by in a flash. Before I knew it, I had stepped off the plane, gotten my luggage from baggage claim, and was waiting for the paparazzi to arrive and take candid shots of the next Steven Spielberg – that would be me. But all I saw was a lot of business men talking on their silver flip phones and carrying briefcases; and I saw many people holding up cardboard signs with names on them. I saw my name (or something like it - Daveed Gordin?), and went up to the man.

I had pictured a quasi-Secret Service appearance from Taylor. But this guy… I mean, he looked a bit unapproachable. It appeared to me that he hadn't shaved in a good three months, and that he hadn't seen a dentist for well over a year, nonetheless brush his teeth. Maybe I overestimated the guy a bit.

"Um… you're Taylor Goutrel, right?" I asked uneasily.

"No, Mr. G's my boss. I'm Geoffrey Schninklehazer, the janitor. But today's my chauffer day." He had a very, shall I say, redneck way about him. His voice, his appearance, his sunburn… he had it all. He could be a Beverly Hillbilly. Let's just say I was glad he wasn't Taylor.

"So, where ya wanna go first? The office? Or the apartment?" I had a choice? I think I'll like it here…

"How about the office first?"

"Ya got it, boss."

We walked through the crowds of LAX, and it turns out that Geoffrey is quite good at handling people. Maybe if he shaved, he could snag the bodyguard position. When we finally got to the valet, I got into the back of the black Pontiac limo and was amazed by the interior.

Black leather seats, a DVD player, a mini bar, a phone…even a satellite electronic map of LA. I could get used to the star treatment. I looked out the window and was even more amazed. If I thought the car was nice, I guess there's no words to describe how outstandingly beautiful the buildings of Hollywood are. It realty was a surreal experience, seeing all the 20-something story office buildings, along with things that you only see on TV, like Universal Studios and huge Hiltons. If only Hillridge was like this.

We reached Culver City after a good forty-five minutes. Traffic, as I expected, was horrible. Rush hour in Los Angeles County was 24/7. But as we reached Olympia Studios, it was all worth it.

Olympia Studios doesn't produce big-shot top box office hits. It's not their scene. They do more of the underground-documentary kind of shows, which is what I do, which makes these six months heaven on earth. They've been in business since 1978, and they're the best in what they do. (Sue me, I did a background check on them.) So obviously walking in there was pretty intimidating.

I walked swiftly to the front desk and asked for Taylor. The secretary smiled at me bittersweetly and directed me to the 19th floor. That's a lot of stairs. I walked around in a huge circle trying to find the staircase, and started up.

"Mr. Gordon. Mr. Gordon. MR. GORDON!" The secretary seemed a bit impatient with me. I have bad hearing. It's hereditary; blame my parents.

I ran down the stairs (three straight years of track makes that easy) and back to the front desk.

"Yes?" I was gasping for breath. I hadn't worked out for QUITE a while. So sprinting that fast was a bit hard.

"The elevator is over there." She pointed to my right, and I saw a glass elevator going up. Needless to say, I felt really stupid.

"Oh. I, uh, I knew that…" She smiled, almost laughed, at me and raised her eyebrows.

"Riiiight. You might want to move along. Taylor's very anxious to see you."

That gave me all the confidence I needed. I thanked the secretary and ran to the elevator. I pressed the 19 button and stepped inside after the doors opened. I thought it would be like the one in the mall, where it took you directly to where you wanted to go. But it stopped at what seemed like every single floor. By the time I had reached the 19th floor, the elevator was crammed with all sorts of people. I made my way through all of them, and walked up to _another_ receptionist.

"Mr. Taylor Goutrel, please." I had gotten used to dealing with secretaries. My day was filled with them.

"Straight ahead, turn right, and his office is the first on the left. I'll tell him you're coming."

"My name is—"

"I know your name, Mr. Gordon. We all do. Hurry up, he's waiting." She shooed me away with her hand, and I walked away with a smile on my face.

I reached the door to his office and sighed. It had a shiny silver nameplate, engraved with "Mr. Taylor Goutrel, Talent Scout." The knob was glass as well. I grabbed it and hesitantly turned it until the door opened. This was it. The first meeting with prestigious Taylor Goutrel.

E/N: I feel like writing more. So here's more right now. 


	10. Meeting the Mentor

In The Dust

A/N: I _just_ wrote Chapter 9 and I know what I wanna do with 10 so I'll do it right now. Lucky you. ;)

Chapter 10: Meeting The Mentor

"Why, hello, David!" I heard a confident voice bellow from inside. It was the kind of voice that you hear on TV commercials selling cars. It had this air of confidence and pride. It was infectious. I had to smile.

"Hello, Taylor. Long time, no talk." I tried to play it cool. But as he shook my hand, I knew he knew I was nervous. He smiled encouragingly, and directed me into a seat.

"How was your flight? I'm not a big fan of planes myself, only if I have first class. But that still makes me queasy." He could talk his way out of being murdered if he had to.

"It was alright, I guess. I fell asleep for a while." What? It was true. I had fallen asleep. (For ten minutes.)

"Ahh, yes. Planes are always good for napping on. They're also good for thinking." Joy. He loves reading into my thoughts and messing with my mind. A true businessman.

"Yeah… I guess. I did think for a while too. You know, about the next six months and all." LIE. "I'm just so excited I couldn't stop thinking about it." LIE. "This is a great opportunity for me, so it's mind-numbing." Why can't I stop talking for once in my damn life? This is my first meeting with my future mentor, and I'm screwing up big time.

"Yeah…" Taylor nodded his head in a kind of sarcastic way. He knew that I was flighty, and he decided to let me off the hook this time.

"So…."

"Hold on for a hot minute, Dave. It _is_ okay if I call you Dave, right? Good. Now hold on." I loved how he asked a rhetorical question and answered it himself. Isn't it rhetorical? Whatever.

"Hey Clarissa, it's Taylor. Can you tell Robert that I'm ready for him? Thanks, you're a doll." He turned the intercom off and turned his attention towards me again.

"I want you to meet my nephew, Robert. He'll show you around these next few days. He's a really good kid, you don't need to worry about him taking you to parties and whatever else you rowdy fifteen year olds do."

"Actually, I'm sixteen."

"Yes, I know, that's what I said. Anyways, Robert is a very sociable guy, so you'll make friends with him very quickly. Oh, look, there he is now! Hey Robbie!"

The door opened, and I slowly turned around to see a guy about my age standing in the doorway, smirking at me. Wait, _was_ he smirking at me? He doesn't even know me. He doesn't have the RIGHT to smirk at me. Maybe it was because I was dressed down. Shit, I shoulda worn a tux. Or at least something nicer than my grungy khakis and plaid button-up over an Etnies shirt with those checkered Vans. I look like a stereotypical suburban guy. And there's Taylor and Robert, wearing sports jackets and slacks and recently-polished leather shoes.

"Hi, Uncle T. Hey, new kid." He nodded at me, and smiled at his uncle sweetly. When Taylor turned around, the kid rolled his eyes. He kind of smiled at me too. I smiled back a bit unsurely. Taylor swiveled around and looked at Robert.

"Rob, why don't you show Dave around town a bit? Teach him the ropes, show him his apartment…" I had an apartment? AWESOME. "Just make sure he comes back alive tomorrow. We need to show him the grand tour of Olympia."

"K, Uncle T. See ya tomorrow." Taylor didn't hear, since the phone rang and he was suddenly emerged into conversation with Clarissa the receptionist. Robert said, "Come on, let's split," and we got out of there as soon as we could.

Once we were out of the entire studio, he stopped and took off his sports jacket and slacks. Underneath he was wearing normal clothes. Thank God. I thought he actually _was_ a geek who wore suits to school.

"Dave?" His mannerism made it seem like he was mocking me. I would too if I met a loser who's name was Dave.

"It's Gordo. Taylor just calls me Dave….Robbie." I got back at him! He looked a bit offended by that one.

"You call me that again, I swear I'll beat the crap outta you. Doesn't Gordo mean 'fat' in Spanish?" He walked away, obviously proud of himself for coming up with a comeback. And anyways, I wasn't as fat as him. I had muscle; he had gut.

"Sure it does. But how does a white guy like you know any Spanish?" Yeah.. I would say we were getting off on the right foot.

"You have to in order to survive in the City of Angels." He smiled and held out his hand. I shook it, and we just laughed the whole incident off.

As we walked up to the Olympia Apartment Complex, we talked about random things, like my life, his uncle, school… It was cool until we got to the topic of girls.

"So, you got a girlfriend?" Good question. I hadn't really decided yet.

"Nah. There was this one girl though…"

"Tell me about her." He seemed genuinely interested. But I didn't feel like rehashing the story of my love life to a guy I had just met about twenty minutes ago.

"Rather not. All you need to know is that there's nothing between us anymore." That was news to me. I had thought we might have had something left that we would resolve later on.

"Ahh. I get it. You wanna forget her, so that's why you decided to come here?" I never really thought of it that way, but…

"Exactly."

Robert kind of laughed and said, "Well, I have the perfect party for us to go to tonight."

E/N: It's 11:45 at night, but I'm not tired, and I want to write more. So here comes more!


	11. My Initiation to the Real LA

In The Dust

A/N: Not much to say. If this sucks, blame it on the fact that I wrote it at one in the morning. Enough said.

Chapter 11: My Initiation to the **Real** LA

"Party?" I choked on the word. I've never been a party person. The last party I went to was Miranda's _quinceñera_ last year. And even that wasn't too big on the social rankings.

"Yeah, it'll be awesome. It's a 'welcome-to-summer' party at some rich girl's house." Great. A party… filled with rich urban kids.

"Awesome?" I seem to be asking many questions.

"You'll see for yourself, man. See, you don't go to these parties for the status," Robert put his arm around me and patted my head. "You go for the girls."

"Girls?" See what I mean? Oh, great. There we go again.

"Yeah.. you okay, dude? You seem a bit… nervous," Robert said tauntingly. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah right. It's just a stupid party." Hah. I kid even myself. Stupid party? More like judgment day.

"Good attitude, man. But after you see those girls… it won't be stupid any more." He seemed to be daydreaming for a second.

"Uh… yeah. So, can I get a ride?" He was still off in his LalaLand.

"Huh? Oh.. yeah, sure. I'll be here at eight. Be ready, or I'm leaving without you. Time is money, dude."

"Bet you learned that from Uncle T?" I teased, and he punched me lightly.

"Whatever. Bye." He walked out to his car and drove off, leaving me to unpack and to get ready to be immersed in southern California culture.

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Eight came by faster than I thought it would. I had hopped into the shower, put on jeans and a blue/white striped shirt, and combed my hair when Robert honked the horn. I switched off the lights and ran out to the car.

"Hey. Ready for your big night?" He seemed to be mocking me. Whatever.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I said as I hopped in and braced myself for what I was getting into.

Before we got to the house I could hear the music. Loud rap music. Loads of cars were parked by the huge white house, and people were scattered around the sidewalk, drinking out of red plastic cups.

"Welcome to the dark side," said Robert, smiling and getting out of the car. We walked towards the door of the house, and without knocking, he just strutted right in.

"God, this is like a movie where the main character, who used to be wholesome and drug-free, becomes drunk and stoned and gets some random girl pregnant." I had put a whole lot of thought into that sentence, and Robert just snorted.

"Yeah, well, welcome to LA, the land of kickass parties that are just like movies." And with that, he grabbed two of the red plastic cups on the table as we walked in, and handed one to me.

"Cheers." I hesitantly lifted my glass, and took a small sip of beer. It was hard to swallow. I felt like I was about to throw up the whole time it traveled through my throat. But I couldn't blow it. This was it, my chance of actually being _cool_ somewhere. I took another big gulp and tried to look like I was enjoying it.

Robert took me around the house, introducing me to people he had met before. They all seemed pretty much drunk. I nodded to all of them, and they waved with their limp hands, and started to laugh and hurry back to the keg. We kept on walking around the huge living room, but all I saw was a lot of shirtless guys drinking and smoking.

"Uh, dude?" I had to literally punch Robert in the arm to get his attention.

"Man, learn when to be patient! I was in a middle of a conversation with… uh, what's your name again?" He looked at the guy next to him, who looked partially sober, and the guy mumbled something that sounded like "Chuck" or "duck". I'm going with the first one.

"Yeah, well, it was nice to meet you, Chuck, but I gotta talk to Robert." Wow. I had suddenly become forceful. I was liking this place.

"Yo, what's up?" Robert sounded like a rapper. Yet, he was one of the whitest guys I've ever met, aside from all the Hillridge kids.

"You said there were girls here? _Where are they_?" Hey, I was starting to get drunk too. I wanted to get my mind off of Lizzie, and that meant meeting someone new.

Robert led me out to the pool and said, "Check it out. It's like an all-you-can-eat buffet, except you don't eat them." Yeah, he was wasted.

"Alright then. You wanna help me out? Introduce me to some of your friends?"

"Sure. Come on." We walked along the pool and I scoped out many girls in bikinis. Much to my dismay, none of them were alluring to me. Strangely enough, they all made me want Lizzie more.

"Gordo, this is my good friend Ashley. Ashley, this is Gordo." I wasn't really paying attention to Robert or Ashley. I was too busy thinking about what a pathetic loser I was.

"Yeah, hi." My tone of voice couldn't sound more interested. I guess that's a big turn-on, because she walked away after raising her eyebrows and flipping her hair.

"Anyone else?" I knew there had to be at least one person that I would find attractive at this party.

"Want to meet the hostess herself? She's into movies."

"I'm into movies." I might be into her.

"I think I knew that. Come on now." He led me over to a girl with light brown hair, a little more on the shorter side. Her eyes were strikingly green and beautiful. Her skin glowed when she smiled with her perfectly straight, sparkling white teeth. Let's just say, she was beautiful. And I had fallen right from the start.

"Hey Lindsay, this is my good friend Gordo. Gordo, this is Lindsay." She turned around, and smiled at me. Or at least I think she was smiling at me. She was surrounded by a whole bunch of other girls who just looked decent compared to her. I heard one whisper, "Ooh, he's cute!"

"Hi Gordo. Nice to meet you." She held out her hand and I shook it. Her hands were soft and warm in mine. I didn't want to let go.

"So.. you two are both into movies. Lindsay does a bit of acting and modeling, don't you?" Lindsay smiled sheepishly. She only glanced for a fleeting moment at Robert. Her eyes seemed to linger on mine, and I looked right back into them. I could drown in her eyes…

"And Gordo came here to work as an assistant director! So you have a lot in common, you two do. So talk. Go on." He motioned to me from behind her, and I gave him the evil stare. He went off to talk to Lindsay's friends, who giggled and whispered behind us.

"So," Lindsay came closer to me and whispered in my ear. God, that's sexy. "Wanna get away from here?" Oh my goodness, yes. Anywhere with you. It would be **awesome** if I could actually tell her that.

"Um, sure." She took my hand and led me outside to her BMW, and we drove off.

E/N: It's a bit on the longer side, so sorry. But another's on its way!


	12. The Sweet Seduction

In The Dust

A/N: I do my writing very late nowadays. Sorry if it sucks, once again. But PLEASE review!

Chapter 12: The Sweet Seduction

"Where's your place?" I guess she wanted someplace private. Too bad my apartment was still in boxes, pretty much.

"It's a couple of blocks down. Ever heard of Olympia Apartment Complex?" I know I hadn't until a couple of hours ago. But hopefully she had.

"Yeah, I've heard of it. You have your own place?"

"Yep. Just me." How lonely it sounded. She smiled.

"All the better." I smiled back uneasily and leaned back in my chair. I was being pretty much seduced by a girl I had just met fifteen minutes ago, and all she knew about me was that I was an assistant director. And all of my life I've thought I was a huge loser.

We finally pulled up to the complex, and she asked me what number I'm in. I would have answered if I knew. So I just pointed to the one that was mine. She giggled, like I meant to be cute. Maybe I'm cute when I'm nervous. I dunno. Ask Miranda or Lizzie. Oh, wait, not Lizzie. No more Lizzie in my mind… GAHHH! I just can't stop thinking of her.

"Hold on a sec, I gotta clean up real fast." I opened the door and quickly shoved every box into the closet. I made the bed in record time, and came back out.

"Alright, ready." She walked in slowly and looked around. She smiled with that smile. That smile… it was just amazingly beautiful. She was amazingly beautiful. She reminded me of Lizzie. Oh, great. Here we go again with this Lizzie business.

"So, you're into movies?" Stupid question, Gordo. STUPID.

"Yeah, I've done some acting. I've been in a local commercial, and a lot of plays. But that's all amateur. I hear you won a contest and landed a contract." She had dimples when she smiled. It was cute.

"Yeah. It's not that big of a deal, though."

"Better than being in a commercial for the county fair. All I had to do was eat an ice cream cone and say, 'Yumm, you can only get this kind of quality at the fair!' How lame is that?" I laughed. I didn't mean to. I mean, I would be offended if someone had laughed at me like that. But she just smiled at me and looked down at her feet.

"Do you like having all those parties?" I didn't mean to ask that either. Her smile faded away and her face looked a bit angry. I was just curious, and it slipped out.

"Not really. Touchy subject. Long story. _End_ of story." She spoke quickly and bitterly. I didn't want to dig deeper at the moment, so I shut up. I noticed that we had been standing in the middle of my room this whole conversation, so I sat down on my bed. She remained standing up, looking out the window distantly. We just stayed the way we were for a while, and an awkward silence fell upon us.

"You're being awfully quiet. You always like this?" She raised an eyebrow, and I shook my head. But I _was_ being pretty quiet.

"I'm only quiet when I think." Bad move. Bad, bad, bad move.

"What are you thinking about?" She sat next to me on the bed and scooted close to me. She put her hand on top of mine.

"Whether or not I should kiss the astoundingly beautiful girl who's sitting right next to me." My voice lowered to a whisper. I could see the edges of her mouth curling up into a grin.

"So what have you decided?" Her voice was at the same level as mine. I looked into her eyes, her stunning eyes, and moved in closer. I was falling headlong into her eyes, and with every inch I gained more confidence.

She grabbed my hands and stared into my eyes. We slowly moved closer in until the tips of our noses were touching. She was waiting for an answer, I could tell. I released my hands and put them on her waist.

"Yes," I said, and then I kissed her. She kissed me back and wrapped her arms around me. We kept going at it, more intense with each second. As amazing as this all was, all I could think about was how different this was than the way I kissed Lizzie just earlier today.

E/N: What a long and confusing day it has been for Gordo. And the next six months will just get more confusing later on. I might continue tonight, but I don't know.


End file.
